Staff Reporter.
Arts Alive Virtual Festival 2020, a project of the City of Joburg enters its final month of Festivities, which continues to be an exciting and uplifting festival of cultural events.
Given the unprecedented times we face, presenting both virtual and live cultural events – within the protocols of Covid-19 – has been both challenging and uplifting. The Festival has been a much needed offering for the artists and the cultural community. The response from the patrons as well as the artists has been phenomenal.
The Festival, which started on 13 September with the launch of the virtual Jazz on the Lake event, will end on the 12 of December. Over the months, there has been an exciting range of events within the performing arts as well as the visual arts. The following live and online events continue, hosted by various arts organizations in partnership with the Arts Alive Festival:
*FNB Art Joburg Online (6-18 November)
It includes 40+ presentations from 33 leading galleries representing 13 countries. Divided into two sections, the main section and Gallery LAB, this year’s line up boasts 33 galleries from 13 countries.
For more information, visit: www.artjoburg.com
*Global Dance Supreme (26 – 29 November)
Global Dance Supreme (GDS) is an International dance organization based in Johannesburg, South Africa that focuses mainly on dance development, upliftment of youth culture and to inspiring the next generation. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 GDS Inter-Continental Dance Championship will be hosted ONLINE with more than 20 International countries participating vying for the R 100 000 prize money.
For more information on Global Dance Supreme, visit: www.globaldancesupreme.com
*Soweto International Film Festival (23-27 November)
The 37th Annual Soweto Festival and Expo is an arts, culture and heritage Festival owned and done by Sowetans for Sowetans through cultural activities that are both educational and developmental to the community of Soweto. In their 2020 programme, the Soweto International Film Fest will feature documentaries, talks and theatre production on Gender Based Violence commemorating 16 Days of Activism.
For more information on SIFF, please email: bookings@sowetofilms.co.za
*Indigenous Gospel: Clap and Tap (29 November)
Catch the streaming on www.artsalive.joburg!
Clap and Tap choirs across the 7 Regions of the City of Johannesburg were afforded an opportunity to submit their music videos online for a chance to walk away with a cash prize of R 15 000 and R30 000 worth recording studio time of 5 Tracks at Downtown Studios. The selected 14 choirs will battle it out on 29th November for this coveted prize where the runner up will receive R11 000 in cash and the second runner up will receive R 8 000 in cash.
*Yonela Mnama and Vivacious Sounds (2-5 December)
As part of the City’s initiative to celebrate people with disabilities and commemorating International Day of persons with Disabilities, Yonela Mnama – a blind and extremely talented jazz scholar, a recording artist and jazz pianist who teaches and composes music – will present his works titled The Regenesis – New Beginnings. A three day programme of workshops, talks and performance at Morris Isaacson Centre for Music. Booking is essential as seating is limited.
For more information, contact: @yonela_mnana/@vivacioussounds
*Clash of the Regions (12 December)
Catch the stream on www.artsalive.joburg
14 Young and upcoming rap artists, poets and kwaito acts across the City of Johannesburg’s seven regions will battle it out for a R10 000 cash prize and studio time to the value of R 30 000 and much more for each category. Submissions are still opened until 22 November 2020.
For more information, visit: www.clashoftheregions.co.za
*SA HIP HOP Awards (12 December)
The 9th Annual South African Hip Hop Awards returns with a new theme: “The New World Order”. The theme idea comes after looking at what has been happening in the last year around the world due to the pandemic.
For the first time since its inception, the SA Hip Hop Awards will collaborate with the City of Joburg. A representative from the City will present the Ubuntu activism category award, which is an award about community building. The awards will be televised on 12 December 2020 at SABC 1 at 8PM.
For more information, visit: www.sahiphopawards.com.